Four color liquid crystal display and panel therefor

ABSTRACT

A liquid crystal display is provided, which includes a liquid crystal panel assembly including a plurality of red, green, blue and white pixel areas, and a backlight unit placed at a side of the liquid crystal panel assembly. The light emitted from the backlight unit has a color coordinate (x, y) where x ranges from about 0.31 to about 0.34, and y ranges from about 0.32 to about 0.35.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display and a paneltherefor, and in particular, to a four color liquid crystal display.

(b) Description of Related Art

Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) includes a liquid crystalpanel assembly including two panels provided with two kinds of fieldgenerating electrodes such as pixel electrodes and a common electrodeand a liquid crystal layer with dielectric anisotropy interposedtherebetween. The variation of the voltage difference between the fieldgenerating electrodes, i.e., the variation in the strength of anelectric field generated by the electrodes changes the transmittance ofthe light passing through the LCD, and thus desired images are obtainedby controlling the voltage difference between the electrodes.

The LCD includes a plurality of pixels with pixel electrodes and red(R), green (G) and blue (B) color filters. The pixels are driven toperform display operation by way of the signals applied thereto throughdisplay signal lines. The signal lines include gate lines (or scanningsignal lines) for carrying the scanning signals, and data lines forcarrying data signals. Each pixel has a thin film transistor (TFT)connected to one of the gate lines and one of the data lines to controlthe data signals applied to the pixel electrode.

The usual LCD representing one dot by the three RGB colors pixelsinvolves poor optical efficiency. Specifically, the color filters forthe respective RGB pixels transmit only one thirds of the light incidentthereupon, and hence, the total optical efficiency is deteriorated.

Meanwhile, there are several types of arrangement of the red (R), green(G) and blue (B) color filters. Examples are a stripe type where thecolor filters of the same color are arranged in the same pixel columns,a mosaic type where the red, green and blue color filters are arrangedin turn along the row and column directions, and a delta type where thepixels are arranged zigzag in the column direction and the red, greenand blue color filters are arranged in turn. The delta type correctlyrepresents a circle or a diagonal line.

The ClairVoyante Laboratories has proposed a pixel arrangement calledthe “PenTile Matrix™,” which is advantageous in displaying highresolution images while gives minimized design cost. In such a pixelarrangement, the unit pixel of blue is common to two dots, and theneighboring blue pixels receive the data signals from one data drivingIC while being driven by two different gate driving ICs. With the use ofthe PenTile Matrix pixel structure, the resolution of the ultra extendedgraphics array (UXGA) level can be realized by way of a display deviceof the super video graphics array (SVGA) level. Furthermore, the numberof low-cost gate driving ICs is increased, but the number of high-costdata driving ICs is decreased. This minimizes the production cost forthe display device.

However, with the PenTile Matrix pixel structure, as the size of theblue pixel is different from the size of the red and the green pixels,it is required to make alteration of the storage capacity due to thedifference in the liquid crystal charge rate. Furthermore, as two bluepixels are driven by way of one line, the pixel polarities arenon-uniformly made.

Particularly, as the blue pixels are arranged in the shape of a stripe,the vertical line patterns due to the blue pixels become easily visiblewith the insufficient resolution, and this deteriorates the total imagequality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A liquid crystal display is provided, which includes: a liquid crystalpanel assembly including a plurality of red, green, blue and white pixelareas; and a backlight unit placed at a side of the liquid crystal panelassembly, wherein light emitted from the backlight unit has a colorcoordinate (x, y) where x ranges from about 0.31 to about 0.34, and yranges from about 0.32 to about 0.35.

The liquid crystal panel assembly includes: a first insulatingsubstrate; a plurality of thin film transistors formed on the firstinsulating substrate; a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on thefirst insulating substrate and connected to the thin film transistors; asecond insulating substrate facing the first insulating substrate; ablack matrix formed on the second insulating substrate and defining thepixel areas; red, green and blue color filters formed substantially inthe red, green and blue pixel areas, respectively; a common electrodeformed on the color filters; and a liquid crystal layer interposedbetween the first and the second insulating substrates.

The blue pixel area or white pixel area has an area smaller than the redpixel area and the green pixel area.

Preferably, total area of the blue pixel area and the white pixel areais substantially the same as the area of any one of the red pixel areaand the green pixel area.

The width of the black matrix near the white pixel area is preferablywider than near the other pixel areas.

A color filter array panel for a liquid crystal display is provided,which includes: an insulating substrate; a black matrix formed on theinsulating substrate and defining red, green, blue and white pixelareas; red, green and blue organic filters formed substantially in thered, green and blue pixel areas and containing red, green and bluepigments, respectively; a transparent organic filter formedsubstantially in the white pixel areas; and a common electrode formed onthe organic filters.

The color filter array panel further includes an overcoat locatedbetween the organic filters and the common electrode.

The transparent organic filter may include the same material as theovercoat.

It is preferable that the height of a surface of the overcoat issubstantially uniform.

A liquid crystal display is provide, which includes: a first insulatingsubstrate; a plurality of thin film transistors formed on the firstinsulating substrate; a protective layer formed on the thin filmtransistors and having a protrusion; a plurality of pixel electrodesformed on the protective layer and connected to the thin filmtransistors; a second insulating substrate facing the first insulatingsubstrate; a black matrix formed on the second insulating substrate anddefining red, green, blue and white pixel areas; red, green and bluecolor filters formed substantially in the red, green and blue pixelareas, respectively; a common electrode formed on the color filters; anda liquid crystal interposed between the first and the second insulatingsubstrates, wherein height of the common electrode is smaller at thewhite pixel area than at the red, the green and the blue areas, and theprotrusion of the protective layer faces the white pixel area.

Preferably, the distance between the common electrode and a surface ofthe protective layer is substantially uniform.

The pixel electrodes and the common electrode may have cutouts.

A liquid crystal display is provided, which includes: an array of aplurality of sets of pixels, each set including blue and white pixelsadjacent to each other, a pair of red pixels obliquely facing each otheracross the blue and the white pixels, and a pair of green pixelsobliquely facing each other across the blue and the white pixels andadjacent to the red pixels, each pixel including a pixel electrode and athin film transistor; a plurality of gate lines extending in a rowdirection for transmitting a gate signal to the pixels; and a pluralityof data lines extending in a column direction for transmitting datasignals to the pixels.

The relative positions of the blue pixel and the white pixel in two setsof pixels adjacent in a column direction or in a row direction arepreferably reversed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pixels haverectangular shapes and the blue and the white pixels are arranged in thecolumn direction to form a separate column.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the blue pixeland the white pixel have triangular shapes to form a diamond shape, anda boundary line between the blue pixel and the white pixel extends inthe row direction or the column direction.

It is preferable that the red pixels in adjacent two columns are locatedin different rows and the red pixels those in adjacent rows are locatedin different columns, wherein the green pixels in adjacent two columnsare placed in different rows and the green pixels in adjacent rows arelocated in different columns, and wherein either the blue pixels or thewhite pixels in two sets of pixels adjacent in the row direction arelocated in different rows, or the blue pixels or the white pixels in twosets adjacent in the column direction are located in different columns.

The liquid crystal display may be driven by rendering.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent by describing preferred embodiments thereof in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of an LCD according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate color filter arrangements for LCDs according toembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a graph showing an exemplary light spectrum of a light sourceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views of color filter array panels for anLCD according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating the response time of an LCD as a functionof the cell gap thereof;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of an LCD according to another embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 11 to 13 illustrate pixel arrangements of an LCD according toembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a picture for illustrating the visibility of an LCD havingthe pixel arrangement shown in FIG. 11;

FIGS. 15 and 17 are layout views of TFT array panels for an LCDaccording to embodiments of the present invention, and FIGS. 16 and 18are sectional views of the TFT array panels shown in FIGS. 15 and 17taken along the lines XVI-XVI′ and XVIII-XVIII′, respectively.

FIG. 15 is a layout view of a TFT array panel for an LCD having thepixel arrangement shown in FIG. 11 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the TFT array panel shown in FIG. 15taken along the line XVI-XVI′;

FIG. 17 is a layout view of a TFT array panel for an LCD having thepixel arrangement shown in FIG. 12 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 18 is a sectional view of the TFT array panel shown in FIG. 17taken along the line XVIII-XVIII′.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the inventions are shown.

In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions are exaggerated forclarity. Like numerals refer to like elements throughout. It will beunderstood that when an element such as a layer, region or substrate isreferred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on theother element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast,when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element,there are no intervening elements present.

Now, LCDs according to embodiments of this invention will be describedin detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of an LCD according to an embodiment ofthe present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate color filterarrangements of LCDs according to embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the LCD includes a lower panel 100, an upper panel200 facing the lower panel 200, and a liquid crystal layer 3 interposedbetween the lower and the upper panels and containing liquid crystalmolecules aligned in a predetermined direction. The LCD further includesupper and lower polarizers 12 and 22, upper and lower compensation films13 and 23, and a backlight unit 350. The liquid crystal molecules varyin their orientations under the application of electric fields. Thetransmittance of the light is changed depending upon the orientations ofthe liquid crystal molecules.

The lower panel 100 includes a lower substrate 110 preferably made of atransparent insulating material such as glass, a plurality of thin filmtransistors (TFTs) formed on the lower substrate 110, and a plurality ofpixel electrodes 190 connected to the TFTs and preferably made of atransparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO) andindium zinc oxide (IZO). Each TFT switches data voltages applied to thepixel electrode 190.

The lower compensation film 13 and the lower polarizer 12 are attachedto the outer surface of the lower substrate 110. The lower compensationfilm 13 has biaxiality or uniaxiality. The lower compensation film 13may be omitted.

The upper panel 200 includes an upper substrate 210 preferably made of atransparent insulating material such as glass, a black matrix 220defining a plurality of pixel areas arranged in a matrix, a plurality ofred, green and blue color filters 230R, 230G and 230B formed in thepixel areas defined by the black matrix 220, and a common electrode 270preferably made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO andIZO.

The red, green and blue color filters 230R, 230G and 230B are arrangedin turn. The pixel areas without any of the red, green and blue colorfilters 230R, 230G and 230B represent white pixel areas W, which equallyintercept or pass all the components of incident light. Since the whitepixel area W has no color filter, the inner surface of the color filterpanel 200 on the white pixel area W has smaller height than on the otherpixel areas R, G and B and the cell gap of the white pixel area W islarger than that at the other pixel areas.

In this specification, the term “pixel” indicates a basic functionalelement for displaying images, which includes a pixel electrode 190, aportion of the common electrode 270 opposite the pixel electrode 190, aportion of the liquid crystal layer 3 located between the pixelelectrode 190 and the corresponding portion of the common electrode 270,a TFT, and a color filter 230R, 230G or 230B. In addition, the term“pixel area” means the area occupied by a pixel. However, forconvenience of description, the two terms “pixel” and “pixel area” willnot be distinctly used in this specification.

Referring to FIG. 2, the numbers of the red, green, blue and whitepixels areas R, G, B and W are the same. The red, green, blue and whitepixel areas R, G, B and W are arranged in turn along the row direction.Each of the blue pixel areas B and the white pixel areas W has a sizeequal to about half of each of the red pixel areas R and the green pixelareas G. Therefore, the sum of one white pixel area W and one blue pixelarea B is nearly the same as one red pixel area R or one green pixelarea G.

Referring to FIG. 3, a 2×3 pixel matrix including identical pixels formsa dot which is a basic element of an image. The first pixel row includesred, blue and green pixels arranged in sequence, and the second pixelrow includes green, white and red pixels arranged in sequence.

The arrangement of the pixels shown in FIG. 4 is almost the same as thatshown in FIG. 3 except that the blue pixel B is enlarged, while thewhite pixel W is reduced.

The pixel arrangement shown in FIG. 5 is almost the same as that shownin FIG. 3 except that portions of the black matrix BM surrounding thewhite pixel W is enlarged to have a width wider than other portions,which is established to hide the disclination lines generated due to theheight difference.

The upper compensation film 23 and the upper polarizer 22 are attachedto the outer surface of the upper substrate 210. The upper compensationfilm 23 has biaxiality or uniaxiality. The upper compensation film 23may be omitted.

The backlight unit 350 is placed at the rear side of the lower polarizer12. The backlight unit 350 is provided with a light source 351 includinga cold cathode tube, and a light guide plate 352.

In this embodiment, since one dot includes red, green, blue and whitepixels, the optical efficiency is improved without increasing the totalarea of the dot.

Assume that the amount of the light passing through the lower polarizer12 is one.

For a dot including three pixels, i.e., red, green and blue pixels, thearea of each pixel is one thirds of the total area of the dot. Since thelight transmittance of the color filter is one thirds, the total lighttransmittance of the dot is equal to ⅓×⅓+⅓×⅓+⅓×⅓=⅓≈33.3%.

For a dot shown in FIG. 2, the area of each of red and green pixels isone thirds of the total area, while the area of each of blue and whitepixels is one sixths of the total area. Since the light transmittance ofthe white pixel is one, while that of the other pixels is one thirds,the total light transmittance of the dot equals to ⅓×⅓+⅓×⅓+⅙×⅓+⅙×1=4/9≈44.4%. Accordingly, the brightness is increased to be about 1.5times compared with a conventional three-color LCD.

Although the area of the blue pixel is smaller than the red pixel or thegreen pixel, the variation of the amount of the blue light is relativelyinsensitive to a person compared with red and green light, and hence,the influence of the areal reduction on the image quality is relativelysmall.

However, the areal reduction of the blue pixel gives slight deformationin the images, that is, it makes the images yellowish.

In order to solve such a problem, the light source 351 emits a lightwith increased blue component to prevent yellowish images.

The light emitted from the light source 351 has a color coordinate (x,y) where x ranges from about 0.31 to about 0.34 and y ranges from about0.32 to about 0.35. Such a light contains the blue component more thanthe light emitted from a light source for a conventional LCD backlight.In order to obtain such a light source, the blue color emitting materialto be contained in the light source 351 should be increased by apredetermined amount.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing an exemplary light spectrum of a light sourceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. Compared with thecurve for a conventional light source represented by “blue 1”, thecurves represented by “blue 1.09” and “blue 1.18” show enhanced peaks atwavelength in a range of about 440- 470 nm, which indicates blue light,and decreased peaks at wavelength in a range of about 620-650 nm, whichindicates red light.

Meanwhile, since the white pixel W has no color filter, the light out ofthe white pixel W from the light source 531 may look bluish. However,the larger cell gap of the white pixel W, which makes the incident lightyellowish, prevents the light from being bluish.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views of color filter array panels for anLCD according to other embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, a color filter array panel 200 includes atransparent insulating substrate 210, a black matrix 220 formed on theinsulating substrate 210 having a plurality of apertures defining pixelareas, a plurality of red, green, blue and transparent color filters230R, 230G, 230B and 230W formed in respective pixel areas, an overcoat250 formed on the color filters 230R, 230G, 230B and 230W, and a commonelectrode 270 formed on the overcoat 250. It is preferable that thetransparent color filters 230W include a transparent organic materialsuch as a photosensitive material without pigment.

A color filter array panel 200 shown in FIG. 8 includes no transparentcolor filter. Instead, portions of an overcoat 250 in white pixel areasW have larger thickness than other portions thereof to make the heightdifference of the surface equal to or less than about 0.0.2 microns.Accordingly, the cell gap for all pixels is nearly uniform, and thecolor filter array panel 200 is manufactured by relatively simpleprocess compared with that shown in FIG. 7 since the step of forming atransparent color filter 230W is omitted.

The color filter array panels 200 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 reduces stepdifference between the white pixels W and the other pixels R, G and B byproviding the transparent color filters 230W or by increasing thethickness of the overcoat 250 at the white pixels W.

The reduced step difference and the uniform cell gap prevent theyellowish light of the white pixel W and the disclination lines at thesteps.

Preferably, the cell gap or the thickness of the liquid crystal layer isequal to about 3.7 microns and the thickness of the color filters isabout 1.5 to 1.6 microns.

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating the response time as a function of thecell gap of an LCD.

In FIG. 9, “on” means the response time of turning on and “off” meansthe response time of turning off.

As shown in FIG. 9, the response time become reduced as the increase ofthe cell gap. When the cell gap reaches about 3.7 microns, the responsetime has a minimum value. As the cell gap goes away from 3.7 microns,the response time becomes increased again.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of an LCD according to another embodiment ofthe present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, an LCD according to this embodiment includes a TFTarray panel 100, a color filter array panel 200, and a liquid crystallayer 3 interposed therebetween.

The color filter array panel 200 includes an upper panel 210 preferablymade of a transparent insulating material such as glass, a black matrix220 formed on the upper panel 210 and defining a plurality of pixelareas arranged in a matrix, a plurality of red, green and blue colorfilters 230R, 230G and 230B disposed substantially in the pixel areas,an overcoat 250 formed on the color filters 230R, 230G and 230B, and acommon electrode 270 preferably made of a transparent conductivematerial such as ITO and IZO and having a plurality of cutouts 271.

The red, green and blue color filters 230R, 230G and 230B are arrangedin turn. The pixel areas without any of the red, green and blue colorfilters 230R, 230G and 230B represent white pixel areas W, which equallyintercept or pass all the components of incident light. Since the whitepixel area W has no color filter, the inner surface of the color filterpanel 200 on the white pixel area W form a basin.

The TFT array panel 100 includes a plurality of gate electrodes 123formed on an insulating substrate 110, a gate insulating layer 140formed on the gate electrodes 123, a plurality of semiconductors 154preferably made of amorphous silicon formed on the gate insulating layer140 opposite the gate electrodes 123, a plurality of ohmic contacts 163and 165 formed on the semiconductors 154, a plurality of source anddrain electrodes 173 and 175 respectively formed on the ohmic contacts163 and 165, a protective layer 180 covering the source and the drainelectrodes 173 and 175 and having a plurality of contact holes 181exposing the drain electrodes 175, and a plurality of pixel electrodesconnected to the drain electrodes 175 through the contact holes 181 andhaving a plurality of cutouts 191. A plurality of gate lines (not shown)connected to the gate electrodes 123 for transmitting scanning signalsthereto, and a plurality of data lines (not shown) connected to thesource electrodes 173 for transmitting data signals thereto are alsoprovided on the TFT array panel 100.

The surface of the protective layer 180 is protruded at the white pixelW to form a plateau.

The basins of the color filter array panel and the plateaus of the TFTarray panel face each other such that the white pixels W have nearly thesame cell gap as the other pixels.

The above-described protective layer 180 is formed by photolithographywith a photo mask having a translucent area as well as a transparentarea and an opaque area. After depositing the protective layer 180 andcoating a photoresist film thereon, the photo mask is aligned such thatthe transparent area and the opaque area face the contact hole 181 andthe white pixel area W, while the translucent area faces remainingareas. After exposure and development, a portion of the photoresist filmon the contact hole 180 is removed to expose a portion of the protectivelayer 180, a portion on the white pixel area W is left over, and theother portions have reduced thickness. The contact hole 181 is formed byetching using the photoresist film as an etching mask, and thephotoresist film suffers ashing such that the portions of thephotoresist film with reduced thickness is removed to expose portions ofthe protective layer 180. Consequently, the photoresist film is leftover only on the white pixel area W. The protective layer 180 is etchedusing the photoresist film as an etching mask such that the exposedportions of the protective layer 180 are thinned to form a plateau onthe white pixel area W.

Meanwhile, a plurality of photolithography steps are introduced inmanufacturing the TFT array panel 100, and the use of a photo maskhaving translucent areas as well as transparent and opaque areas reducethe number of photolithography steps. Several layers having differentpatterns can be made by using a photoresist film havingposition-dependent thickness made by using the photo mask. For instance,the semiconductors 154, the ohmic contacts 163 and 165, and the sourceand the drain electrodes 163 and 165 are formed by using such aphotoresist film, and thus, the TFT array panel 100 can be completedusing less masks compared with the case using photo masks having onlytransparent and opaque areas. In this case, the source and the drainelectrodes 163 and 165, and the ohmic contacts have substantially thesame planar shape, and the semiconductors 154 except for the channelregion has substantially the same planar shape as the source and thedrain electrodes 163 and 165.

The TFT array panel 100 and the color filter array panel 200 are alignedto be assembled. Thereafter, a liquid crystal material 3 is injectedinto a gap between the panels 100 and 200 and subject to verticalalignment. A pixel region, which indicates a portion of the liquidcrystal layer 3 in a pixel, is partitioned into a plurality of domainsby the cutouts 191 and 271 of the pixel electrode 190 and the commonelectrode 270. The domains are classified into four kinds depending uponthe tilt directions of the liquid crystal molecules therein uponapplication of electric field. The several kinds of the domains givewide viewing angle.

FIGS. 11 to 13 illustrate pixel arrangements for an LCD according toother embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, an LCD according to this embodimentincludes red, blue and green pixels R, B and G arranged like a PenTileMatrix and white pixels W adjacent to the blue pixels B.

For a descriptive purpose, it is considered a set of pixels includingblue and white pixels B and W adjacent to each other, a pair of redpixels R obliquely facing each other across the blue and the whitepixels B and W, and a pair of green pixels G obliquely facing each otheracross the blue and the white pixels B and W and adjacent to the redpixels R. Then, the pixel arrangements shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 areobtained by repeatedly arranging such sets of pixels. It is noted thatthe relative positions of the blue pixel B and the white pixel W in twosets of pixels adjacent in a column direction or in a row direction arereversed.

The blue pixel B and the white pixel W shown in FIG. 11 have rectangularshapes as the red and the green pixels R and G and are arranged in thecolumn direction to form a separate column.

Alternatively, the blue pixel B and the white pixel W shown in FIGS. 12and 13 have isosceles triangular shapes, and a pair of the blue and thewhite pixels B and W face their bottom sides to form a diamond shape.The blue and the white pixels B and W shown in FIG. 12 are arranged inthe column direction, while those shown in FIG. 13 are arranged in a rowdirection. Accordingly, a boundary line between the blue pixel B and thewhite pixel W shown in FIG. 12 match the boundary line between the pixelrows, while a boundary line between the blue pixel B and the white pixelW shown in FIG. 13 match the boundary line between the pixel columns.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the relative positions of the blue pixel Band the white pixel W in two sets of pixels adjacent in the rowdirection are reversed. However, referring to FIG. 13, the relativepositions of the blue pixel B and the white pixel W in two sets ofpixels adjacent in the column direction are reversed.

In this arrangement, the red pixels R in adjacent two columns arelocated in different rows, while those in adjacent rows are located indifferent columns. Likewise, the green pixels in adjacent two columnsare placed in different rows, while those in adjacent rows are locatedin different columns. In addition, the blue pixels B or the white pixelsW in two sets adjacent in the row direction are located in differentrows as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, or alternatively, the blue pixels B orthe white pixels W in two sets adjacent in the column direction arelocated in different columns as shown in FIG. 13. Accordingly, the samecolor pixels, particularly the blue pixels are arranged in zigzag alongthe column direction and the row direction.

The LCDs according to these embodiments receive RGB image data from anexternal data source such as a graphic controller, and extract imagedata for the white pixels W to drive the four color pixels.

A dot for displaying an image preferably includes an above-described setof pixels including a pair of blue and white pixels B and W, a pair ofred pixels R, and a pair of green pixels G.

However, when using rendering, a dot may include a pair of blue andwhite pixels B and W and a pair of red and green pixels in a column.

In any cases, these pixel arrangements prevent vertical line patterngenerated in a conventional LCD where the same color pixels such as bluepixels are arranged in the column direction and the resolution is notsufficiently high. Therefore, an LCD having a PenTile Matrix pixelarrangement realizes improved image quality.

FIG. 14 is a picture for illustrating the visibility of an LCD havingthe pixel arrangement shown in FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 14, no verticalline pattern is recognizable.

Exemplary TFT array panels for an LCD having the pixel arrangementsshown in FIGS. 11 and 12 will be now described with reference to FIGS.15 to 18.

FIGS. 15 and 17 are layout views of TFT array panels for an LCDaccording to embodiments of the present invention, and FIGS. 16 and 18are sectional views of the TFT array panels shown in FIGS. 15 and 17taken along the lines XVI-XVI′ and XVIII-XVIII′, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 12, LCDs according to these embodiments includes aplurality of red, green, blue and white pixels R, C, B and G arranged inrow and column directions.

As shown in the figures, a gate wire is formed on a transparentinsulating substrate 110. The gate wire includes a plurality of gatelines 121 extending substantially in the row direction and a pluralityof gate electrodes 123 connected to the gate lines 121. An end portion125 of each gate line 121 is widened for connection with an externalcircuit.

The gate wire is preferably made of a metal having low resistivity suchas aluminum, silver, etc.

A gate insulating layer 140 is formed on the entire surface of thesubstrate including the gate wire.

A plurality of semiconductor islands 154 preferably made of amorphoussilicon are formed on the gate insulating layer 140, and a plurality ofohmic contacts 163 and 165 preferably made of silicide or amorphoussilicon heavily doped with n-type impurity are formed on thesemiconductor islands 154.

A data wire preferably made of a metal having low resistivity such asaluminum, silver, etc. is formed on the ohmic contacts 163 and 165 andthe gate insulating layer 140.

The data wire includes a plurality of data lines 171 extendingsubstantially in the column direction and intersecting the gate lines121 to define a plurality of pixel areas, a plurality of sourceelectrodes 173 which are branches of the data lines 171 and extendingonto to the ohmic contacts 163, and a plurality of drain electrodes 175separated from the source electrodes 173 and formed on the ohmiccontacts 165 opposite the source electrodes 173 with respect to the gateelectrodes 123. An end portion 179 of each data line 171 is widened forconnection with an external circuit.

A passivation layer 180 is formed on the data wire and exposed portionsof the semiconductor islands 154 which are not covered with the datawire. The passivation layer 180 has a plurality of contact holes 185 and189 exposing the drain electrodes 175 and the end portions 125 of thedata lines 171, respectively. The passivation layer 180 and the gateinsulating layer 140 have a plurality of contact holes 182 exposing theend portions 125 of the gate lines 121.

A plurality of pixel electrodes 190 and a plurality of contactassistants 95 and 97 are formed on the passivation layer 180. The pixelelectrodes 190 are connected to the drain electrodes 175 and the storageelectrodes 177 via the contact holes 185 and 187, respectively, and thecontact assistants 95 and 97 are connected to the exposed end portions125 of the gate lines 121 and the exposed end portions 179 of the datalines 171 via the contact holes 182 and 189, respectively. The pixelelectrodes 190 and the contact assistants 95 and 97 are preferably madeof transparent material such as ITO (indium tin oxide) or IZO (indiumzinc oxide).

The gate electrodes 123, the source electrodes 173 and the drainelectrodes 175 as well as the semiconductor islands 154 form TFTs.

Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, each pixel R, G, B and W has an identicalrectangular shape as shown in FIG. 11, and the arrangements of the gatelines 121, the gate electrodes 123, the data lines 171, and the sourceand the drain electrodes 173 and 175 are also identical. The data wirefurther includes a plurality of storage conductors 177 overlapping theextensions of the gate lines 121, and the passivation layer 180 furtherhas a plurality of contact holes 187 for connection between the pixelelectrodes 190 and the storage capacitors 177. Each gate line 121 has aplurality of extensions overlapping the storage electrodes 177 to formstorage capacitors.

Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, the pixel electrodes 190 of the pixels R,G, B and W resemble the shapes of the corresponding pixels shown in FIG.12. A plurality of storage lines 131 extending substantially parallel tothe gate lines 121 and made of the same material as the gate wire areformed on the substrate 110. The gate lines 121 and the storage lines131 are located near the boundaries of the pixel rows, and the pixelelectrodes 190 and the TFTs are symmetrically arranged with respect tothe storage lines 131. The storage lines 131 overlap the pixelelectrodes 190 adjacent thereto to form a plurality of storagecapacitors.

Referring to FIGS. 15 to 18, the pixel electrodes 190 overlap the gatelines 121 and the data lines 171 to give large aperture ratio.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed in detail hereinabove, it should be clearly understood thatmany variations and/or modifications of the basic inventive conceptsherein taught which may appear to those skilled in the present art willstill fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

1. A liquid crystal display comprising: a liquid crystal panel assemblyincluding a plurality of red, green, blue and white pixel areas, whereinthe blue pixel area has an area smaller than the red pixel area and thegreen pixel area; and a backlight unit placed at a side of the liquidcrystal panel assembly, wherein light emitted from the backlight unithas a color coordinate (x, y) where x ranges from about 0.31 to about0.34, and y ranges from about 0.32 to about 0.35.
 2. The liquid crystaldisplay of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal panel assembly comprises:a first insulating substrate; a plurality of thin film transistorsformed on the first insulating substrate; a plurality of pixelelectrodes formed on the first insulating substrate and connected to thethin film transistors; a second insulating substrate facing the firstinsulating substrate; a black matrix formed on the second insulatingsubstrate and defining the pixel areas; red, green and blue colorfilters formed substantially in the red, green and blue pixel areas,respectively; a common electrode formed on the color filters; and aliquid crystal layer interposed between the first and the secondinsulating substrates.
 3. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, whereinthe white pixel area has an area smaller than the red pixel area and thegreen pixel area.
 4. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, whereintotal area of the blue pixel area and the white pixel area issubstantially the same as the area of any one of the red pixel area andthe green pixel area.
 5. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, whereinthe width of the black matrix near the white pixel area is wider thannear the other pixel areas.
 6. A liquid crystal display comprising: aliquid crystal panel assembly including a plurality of red, green, blueand white pixels arranged in an array of a plurality of sets of the red,green, blue and white pixels, each set including the blue and the whitepixels adjacent to each other, a pair of the red pixels obliquely facingeach other across the blue and the white pixels, and a pair of the greenpixels obliquely facing each other across the blue and the white pixelsand adjacent to the red pixels, each pixel including a pixel electrodeand a thin film transistor; a backlight unit placed at a side of theliquid crystal panel assembly, wherein light emitted from the backlightunit has a color coordinate (x, y) where x ranges from about 0.31 toabout 0.34, and y ranges from about 0.32 to about 0.35; a plurality ofgate lines extending in a row direction for transmitting a gate signalto the plurality of red, green, blue and white pixels; and a pluralityof data lines extending in a column direction for transmitting datasignals to the plurality of red, green, blue and white pixels, whereinthe blue pixel and the white pixel have triangular shapes.
 7. The liquidcrystal display of claim 6, wherein relative positions of the blue pixeland the white pixel in two sets of pixels adjacent in a column directionor in a row direction are reversed.
 8. The liquid crystal display ofclaim 6, wherein the pixels have rectangular shapes and the blue and thewhite pixels are arranged in the column direction to form a separatecolumn.
 9. The liquid crystal display of claim 6, wherein the blue pixeland the white pixel have triangular shapes to form a diamond shape. 10.The liquid crystal display of claim 9 6, wherein a boundary line betweenthe blue pixel and the white pixel extends in the row direction or thecolumn direction.
 11. The liquid crystal display of claim 6, wherein thered pixels in adjacent two columns are located in different rows and thered pixels those in adjacent rows are located in different columns,wherein the green pixels in adjacent two columns are placed in differentrows and the green pixels in adjacent rows are located in differentcolumns, and wherein either the blue pixels or the white pixels in twosets of pixels adjacent in the row direction are located in differentrows, or the blue pixels or the white pixels in two sets adjacent in thecolumn direction are located in different columns.
 12. The liquidcrystal display of claim 6, wherein the liquid crystal display is drivenby rendering.
 13. A liquid crystal display comprising: an array ofpixels including a first color pixel representing a first color and asecond color pixel representing a second color adjacent to each other, apair of third color pixels each representing a third color and obliquelyfacing each other across the first color pixel and the second colorpixel, and a pair of fourth color pixels each representing a fourthcolor and obliquely facing each other across the first color pixel andthe second color pixel and adjacent to the third color pixels, eachpixel including a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor; aplurality of gate lines extending in a row direction for transmitting agate signal to the pixels; and a plurality of data lines extending in acolumn direction for transmitting data signals to the pixels, whereinthe first color pixel and the second color pixel have triangular shapes,one of the pair of third color pixels has an edge adjacent to an edge ofthe first color pixel, and the other of the pair of third color pixelshas an edge adjacent to an edge of the second color pixel, one of thepair of fourth color pixels has an edge adjacent to an edge of the firstcolor pixel, and the other of the pair of fourth color pixels has anedge adjacent to an edge of the second color pixel, and the first color,the second color, the third color and the fourth color are differentfrom one another.
 14. The liquid crystal display of claim 13, where inthe first color, the second color, the third color, and the fourth colorrespectively correspond to one of red, green, blue and white.
 15. Theliquid crystal display of claim 14, wherein the first color is white.16. A display device comprising a pixel group comprising two first colorpixels, two second color pixels, a third color pixel and a fourth colorpixel, the pixel group further comprises a first row of three pixels anda second row of three pixels, the first row and the second row beingadjacent to each other in the column direction, wherein the first rowcomprises one of the two first color pixels, one of the two second colorpixels and the third color pixel, the second row comprises the other ofthe two first color pixels, the other of the two second color pixels andthe fourth color pixel, the first color pixel, the second color pixel,the third color pixel and the fourth color pixel represent differentcolors from each other, and at least one color pixel in each row has adifferent shape and a different number of edges than the remaining colorpixels in the row.
 17. The display device of claim 16, wherein the firstcolor pixel is a green pixel, the second color pixel is a red pixel, thethird color pixel is a blue pixel, and the fourth color pixel is a whitepixel, respectively.
 18. The display device of claim 16, wherein thefirst color pixel is a red pixel, the second color pixel is a greenpixel, the third color pixel is a blue pixel, and the fourth color pixelis a white pixel, respectively.
 19. A display device comprising: a firstpixel group comprising at least two pixels, the first pixel group havinga substantially quadrilateral shape including four edges, each of thefour edges being oblique with respect to a row direction; a second pixelgroup substantially surrounding the first pixel group, the second pixelgroup comprising four pixels adjacent to the four edges of the firstpixel group, respectively; a plurality of gate lines extending in a rowdirection, the plurality of gate lines transmitting a gate signal to thefirst pixel group and the second pixel group; and a plurality of datalines extending in a column direction, the plurality of data linestransmitting data signals to the first pixel group and the second pixelgroup, wherein each color of the at least two pixels of the first pixelgroup is different from each color of the four pixels of the secondpixel group, and the four pixels of the second pixel group have at leasttwo colors.
 20. The display device of claim 19, wherein colors of the atleast two pixels of the first pixel group are different from each other.21. The display device of claim 20, wherein a shape of each of the atleast two pixels of the first pixel group is triangular.
 22. The displaydevice of claim 21, wherein a pixel of the first pixel group and twopixels of the second pixel group are arranged in a row direction. 23.The display device of claim 20, wherein the colors of the two pixels ofthe first pixel group include blue and white.
 24. The display device ofclaim 20, wherein the colors of the pixels of the second pixel groupinclude red and green.